Heart of Gold, Tongue of Silver
by Nova LEW
Summary: Hermione loves Draco. Will he reciprocate? Will Harry and Ron accept it? DMHG, HPGW, RWPP
1. Prologue

1_AN: New story! I will now be writing two stories at once, this one and The Freedom of a Bird__and this one will be second priority to the latter. Please, enjoy!! This chapter won't be very long because its only a prologue, but the first real chapter will be longer, so stick around!_

Prologue

With an enormous yawn, Hermione Granger woke up early on a bright September morning. Today was to be her first day of seventh year! She was determined that this year would be different from the other six. Hermione had made it her first priority to change over the course of the summer. When it came to grades, being a bookworm had its uses. After all, she was the top of her class, and this caused her to be appointed Head Girl. However, because she _looked_ like a bookworm, the only boyfriend she had ever had was a foreigner, from whom she couldn't understand a single word.

She was tired of being overlooked because of her bookish appearance, and so she had a completely new look. She had given up her boring white button-ups for funky tops. She traded in her dress slacks for skirts, dresses, and jeans. She experimented over the course of the summer with make-up, and even learned how to tame her hair without excessive amounts of Sleak-Eazy. She didn't know how much her change would show, but she would find out soon.

Soon, she would see Harry and Ron. Hermione had always based her choices off of the judgments of these two. If they told her to give the books a rest, she would do it. If they told her, however indirectly, that she wasn't feminine enough, she would spray herself with perfume the next day. Anything they said that made her feel like she needed a change would alter her. She would change herself because they told her to.

But, strangely enough, they weren't the reason she had changed over the summer.

Ever since first year, Hermione had been in love. She didn't know in first year that it was serious. She thought it was just a stupid crush, and ignored it. In the second, third, fourth, and fifth years, this stupid little crush continued to grow until, by sixth year, it had spiraled out of proportion. And now, in the seventh year, Hermione would no longer ignore it. She was ready to admit to herself that she was in love, and hopefully she would earn the affections of her beloved.

This year, Hermione Granger would find a way to admit to him that she loved Draco Malfoy. And no amount of judgments from Ron and Harry would change that.

She hoped that she had been successful in her makeover. She was sick of admiring Draco from afar. She wanted to find a way to finally be in his arms, for once and for all.


	2. MakeUp

1_AN: **Big** thanks to Zarroc, my star reviewer, who reads and reviews everything I write. Thank you!_

_This chapter will be longer than the next, but I just want to clear a few things up. I will be switching around the point of view in this story. Every time that there is a name centered in the page, that means it will be their point of view. This is a little trick that I learned from one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult. Please, enjoy!_

C_hapter 1: Make-Up_

_Ron_

"_Harry!! Ron!!" Man, was I glad to hear her voice. She was here!!!_

"_Hermione!" Running up to her, I embraced her. Meeting Hermione at King's Cross with Harry by my side felt so routine, and so nice. But, suddenly, I noticed something a little odd._

"_Erm, Hermione?"_

"_Yes, Ron?" She had that excited gleam in her eye that always accompanied her on the first day of school._

"_Well, er...you..."_

"_Any day now will be fine, Ronald." I knew that she was joking from her tone of voice. Sometimes, it feels like I know her better than she even knows herself. Maybe even better than Harry does._

"_Well...you smell like a girl."_

"_Wow, Ron. You would think that, after knowing me for seven years, you would have realized I'm female by now." She got impatient, just like she always does._

"_No, what I mean is...you smell nice. You're...wearing perfume?" Its just so unlike her!_

"_Well...erm, yes." She turned a bright red, but then, upon really looking at her face, I noticed something else._

"_Mione...you're wearing make-up!"_

_Suddenly, she looked at her watch, blushing even deeper._

"_Wow...look at the time. We had better get on the train before it leaves us!"_

_Since when did Mione wear make-up and perfume on the first day of school? Hermione never_ wears anything remotely feminine. Seeing Hermione all dolled up for the first day of school should have been my hint - something big was up.

**Harry**

An awkward tension so like first year filled the air in our compartment on the train. Things were a little bit strange after Ron pointed out the obvious fact that Hermione was wearing make-up. I mean, really. Of course she's wearing make-up. All girls wear make-up, and Hermione's a girl, so of course she wears make-up. Right? Don't all girls wear make-up?

Although...I can't think of another time that she's worn it for no reason. Suddenly, the awkward tension is gone as Hermione speaks.

"So, how was everyone's summer?" When she says everyone, she's of course referring to Ron and I, as we are the only other people in the compartment.

"Well, the Dursley's were particularly horrible this year. I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I saw sunlight." I joke. "Hey, do you know when the food trolley will come around? I'm dying for a chocolate frog."

"Should be around any minute, mate." When Ron asked Hermione about her make-up, her flushed a deeper crimson than she did. However, talking about food seemed to calm him right down.

"So, Ron? How was your summer?" Ever the conversation starter, Hermione questioned Ron. "Do anything interesting? Meet anyone?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I only played a bit of Quidditch with my brothers, but Fred has a new girlfriend he brought home. She's an excellent Keeper." (_AN: I can just hear the British accents as I type this.)_

"So, nothing really interesting, then?" Hermione remarked. As guys, sometimes Ron and I forget just how boring Quidditch is for Hermione.

"Well, what did you do, Hermione?" I question.

"Oh, well, you know...the usual. Went on holiday with my parents, got my cousin to teach me how to do my make-up and tame my hair." Now that she mentioned, her hair did look more...er, tame than usual.

"That's usual for you?" Ron bluntly stated.

"I beg your pardon?" Hermione retaliated.

"Well, Mione, no offense, but last I checked, you weren't the most feminine girl ever."

The wierdest thing happened then. Normally, when Ron spoke to Hermione like this, she got self-righteous and argumentative. This time, however, she simply stared out the window at people loading onto the train, as though somebody out there had caught her eye.

"Well," she simply said, "Maybe things are different now."

I wasn't sure if I was ready for different.

Hermione

I wasn't sure what to think of their reactions, but somebody outside caught my eye. I could see the sun bouncing of off something particularly light, and then I realized that it was reflecting of off pale blond hair. It was him.

I must have been staring out of the window for some time, because suddenly, I looked up to see a pair of fingers snapping in my face.

"Hello, Mione??? EARTH TO MIONE!" Ron seemed flustered for some reason.

"Huh?" I responded intelligently.

"Want to share with us what, exactly, you have been staring at?"

I could feel myself blush.

"Oh...it's nobod-...I mean, thing. Nothing. It's nothing." I hoped that they couldn't hear my heart beating faster. I wasn't ready for them to know yet!

"Oh, come off it, Mione!" Ron exclaimed. "The average person doesn't gaze longingly out the window at _nothing."_

"Yeah, really, Hermione. What were you looking at?" Harry was getting curious now, too. Uh-oh...this was usually a bad sign. Where Ron is a really nosy person, Harry is normally pretty good. So for Harry's curiosity to be peaked meant that I had been looking at Draco for a while.

"Oh...its just the first years." I hoped that spending enough years with them had taught me how to lie convincingly.

'Uh-huh...you stared out the window at _first years?_" Ok, this was starting to get on my nerves.

"Shut up, Ron. I can stare out the window at whatever I please."

"Suit yourself." Good. I made him angry. "Did you find yourself a boyfriend among them? You might want to aim for something taller than five feet, Hermione."

"Guess I should look outside of this compartment, then." Normally, Ron didn't start to get on my case until around the third day of school. I wondered what was up with him.

"So, Hermione...not to be nosy or anything..."

"Yes, Harry?" Talking to Harry right now was much more appealing than talking to Ron.

"Why _are_ you wearing make-up?"

I was starting to get irritated with that question.

"I don't know, Harry." I said, hoping I didn't sound as irritated as I was. "Perhaps its to cover up the green of my natural skin."

"Well, then, great job at covering it." Harry was grinning his winning grin at me. "You look spectacular."

Spectacular. Maybe being spectacular could win me Draco Malfoy. Anything was worth a shot.


	3. Excitement

1_AN: Thanks for continuing to read! Please, feel free to carry on carrying on..._

**Chapter 2: Excitement**

**Hermione**

I could feel the electricity pulsing through my veins like a fast flowing blood. It was him, at last! I had waited all summer to see his beautiful face again, only to find that my memory of it was nothing in comparison to the actual view.

"Hellllllllllo? Earth to 'Mione!" I heard Ron call.

"Huh?" I'm sure I sounded intelligent.

"You were staring out the window _again_. Do those first years look that interesting?" Ron demanded.

"Oh, well...yes." I was becoming quite flustered. My general plan of action was to gradually introduce to Ron and Harry my feelings for Draco. If they found out that I had been staring at somebody that they considered our worst enemy, all hell would break loose. They had to gradually come to accept the fact that I saw Draco as more than an enemy, or else they would never accept it at all. I knew them.

"So, Ron, how was the Quidditch?" Harry, ever the conversation saver, saved me from Ron. When curious, Ron could become quite nosy. I didn't like people nosing into my personal business, so when Ron started to do so I tended to blow up on him. Harry, knowing his, always intervened when he sensed a fight coming. I was grateful. Harry always did what he could to prevent those he loved from being hurt, especially at the hands of somebody _they_ loved.

I was sure that, were anyone to accept my feelings for Draco, it would be Harry. Harry was easily the most understanding of all of my friends. He was the most open to change, and I hoped that this change could be applied to Draco.

However, I also knew how much Harry truly hated Draco. Even the patient Harry, who tried to be level-headed and give everyone a chance, wouldn't be able to like Draco Malfoy over night.

I was equally sure that Ron, in his pig-headedness, would _never_ accept what I felt for Draco unless Harry accepted it first. Ron would need somebody else, somebody who wasn't me, to convince him that my loving Draco was for the better. Ron would need an intermediary, someone not myself and not Draco, to convince him that it could be good.

Harry, ever he intermediary, as well as Ron's best friend, was perfect for this job. If I could get Harry to see my side, to understand my feelings, and to evoke within him a change of opinion on Draco, I could win Ron, too. If I could change Harry's mind, then Harry and I combined could change Ron's.

Which is why I ultimately decided that I would speak with Harry first, when the time came.

**Harry**

I noticed Hermione looking out of the window with a very pensive look upon her face.

When Hermione got pensive, it wasn't generally bad. Usually, she was thinking about things like books, or if Ron meant what he said, or if the homework would take more than three hours. She would usually think things that wouldn't harm her, and certainly it never seemed that she was thinking of anything very emotional.

But, for some reason, today felt different. Maybe it was the fact that Hermione, ever the tomboy, was now wearing make-up and doing her hair. Maybe it was the way she stared out the window, as though focused on something on the platform that only she could see. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the way that she blushed whenever Ron asked what she was looking at.

Whatever the reason, something felt very different. I could feel the winds of change all around us.

I tuned back in to my conversation with Ron.

"-and then Fred's new girl, Ginger, did a double barrel roll toward the third hoop and caught the ball right as it was about to go through. I mean, talk about a save!! It was miracle Keeping, Harry. I only wish she came to Hogwarts." Normally, any talk of Quidditch had me on the edge of my seat, but today, I was worried about Hermione.

"Double barrel? Are you joking? Angelina can't do a double barrel! Maybe Ginger could come coach us all for a day. Wouldn't it be fantastic to learn from her? And then Fred and George could try to visit. It would be fantastic!" With Ron, the best way to fool him into thinking that you are completely riveted upon what he says is to be enthusiastic. He will never question a word you say as long as you say it with a smile and a bounce.

"Yeah, it would!" He was off again. I let him go, and continued to think about what could possibly be bugging Hermione. She was acting so strange!

"Trolley!" A familiar woman's voice called out.

"Food!" Ron cried, enthusiastic as ever to get his meal. We bought seven chocolate frogs, a few packs of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and some pumpkin pasties.

"'Mione, you 'ungry?" Ron asked in his usual attractive manner of speaking with his mouth wide open.

"Well, not anymore, I'm not."

Hermione's witty sense of humor was back. Maybe she was ok, after all.

"Very funny, 'Mione." Ron mumbled.

"Er, Ron? I think you just spat out a bit of pasty." He looked down, then blushed when he saw a chunk of pasty on his lap.

"Er...so I did, mate." He scooped it up and tossed it out the window.

"Ronald! You can't just throw a half-eaten pasty out of the window!"

"Seems to me I can." Ron grinned.

Just then, the door to the compartment slid open. In stepped the all too familiar face of a Slytherin I loved to hate. It was none other than Draco Malfoy. When he stepped in the room, I noticed something a little bit odd.

For just a second, and no more, Hermione's face lit up the brightest that it had been all day. Could the ferret possibly give Hermione a reason to smile just by being in the same room as her? And then I noticed something else. For just a second, and no more, Malfoy looked at her and paused. He seemed somewhat shocked. But then he gathered his composure.

"Morning Potty, Weasel, Mudblood." I saw the bright look on Hermione's face darken. With it, I felt my heart drop a bit.

"To what do we owe this _pleasure_, Ferret?" I ask though gritted teeth.

"Well, Potty, if you must know," He is flushing a bit. Good. This means that I've gotten to him. "Weasel and Granger are required in the Prefect's compartment, a fact that they seem to have ignored."

"Oh, no!" Hermione is up like a shot. Make-up or no, Hermione still had the same goody-two shoes tendencies as ever before. "It completely slipped my mind. Ron! We have to go!"

Malfoy had slipped out of the compartment, and Hermione was back to being herself. Or, at least, she was being what I thought of when I thought of Hermione.

"All righ', all righ' I'm comin'."

Together they ran out of the apartment, leaving me alone. Even though it was seventh year, I don't think I've ever gotten over the blow of not being chosen for Prefect. Every time they left, I was left alone, wondering why I wasn't good enough to be where they were.

**Draco**

When I stepped into their compartment, I noticed something different.

The Mudblood's normally flyaway hair was tamed quite nicely, and fell in gentle curls to the middle of her back. Somebody seemed to have taught her to use make-up, for I had never noticed before quite how lovely her honey brown eyes were, especially when lined and shadowed with appropriate colors. In fact, she looked quite...attractive, to say the least. She seemed to be looking at myself differently, as well. I, however, only entertained these thoughts for a second. Nice looking as she may now be, she was still and always would be a Mudblood. No amount of perfect hair or face could change that.

"Morning Potty, Weasel, Mudblood." Her facial expression seemed to droop a bit. Good. Maybe now she would stop looking at me like that.

"To what do we owe this _pleasure_, Ferret?" Potter's voice was really quite corrosive when he was pissed.

"Well, Potty, if you must know," I wanted to annoy him. Mentioning that his two best friends, who were both Prefects where he was not (a spot that I knew was sore), were needed would surely piss him off further. "Weasel and Granger are required in the Prefect's compartment, a fact that they seem to have ignored."

I slipped out quietly where I normally would have stayed to aggravate them further. Ever since I had first seen the Mudblood lay eyes upon me, I had noticed her looking at me a different way. When she looked at me, there was something in her eyes that wasn't present when she looked at Potter or Weasley. Truth be told, this look in her eye gave me the confidence to become the suave lady's man I had become. Though I would never admit it, Granger had affected my confidence from the moment she first looked at me. Without her ever realizing it, she formed who I would become.

This thought creeped me out. However accidentally, I had allowed a Mudblood to form who I was! And so I never told anyone, afraid that they would tell my father, who was now safely tucked away in Azkaban, that I had allowed a Mudblood to affect me so.

Such conduct was unbecoming for one of my stature. But, however much I tried to deny it, seeing that look in her eye when she looked at me excited me. And there was no way around that excitement.


	4. Future Duals

1_AN: Ok, I am SO sorry that I took so long! I had this history paper I had to research_,_ and it pretty much sucked_ _up my life. Anyway, here's another chapter at last!_

**Chapter 3: Future Duals  
**

** Hermione **

It seemed like forever before the train stopped. I could feel the excitement in the air around me as Harry, Ron, and I prepared for our last first sight of Hogwarts. Ron generously offered to carry my bags for me.

I guess I got a little too excited about seeing Hogwarts again. Because, sure enough, as soon as I reached the last step of the train, I fell all over myself. I guess it was due to irony that I landed gracefully on my ass, right at the feet of none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Well, well, well...I guess its true what they say." I saw him nudge Blaise Zabini in the ribs with his elbow, as though spurring him on. I was just getting up and dusting myself off, trying to look dignified, when Blaise responded.

"What's that, Drake?"

"Mudbloods really DO fly!" They all shared a heartfelt round of laughter as I felt the blood rush to my face.

Thankfully enough, I had friends behind me.

"You know, Malfoy, if I were you, I don't think I'd be talking much about flying." Harry stepped in, always protective of me.

"Oh? And why's that, Potter?" My oh my. He looked genuinely confused.

"Well, I would figure that it would still be a sore subject."

"Potter, could you stop beating around the bush, please?" He turned pink, a true sign that he was frustrated. "Why would flying be a sore subject for me?"

"Because I seem to remember you doing a fair bit of flying as a ferret."

Then, a miracle happened. Draco Malfoy was struck silent.

"What, you don't remember? Well, I guess it wasn't true flying...more like bouncing around, really." Draco turned more and more pink as Harry continued on. Then Ron joined in.

"Maybe we should give him a little reminder, Harry." Ron cracked his fingers.

"Oh, please." Draco's tongue had finally become untied. He was retorting. "Like you two morons could ever transfigure anything larger than a rock."

"But I could." I finally joined in to defend myself.

"Doubtful, Granger." He sneered. "You'd probably just fall all over yourself."

"Well, why don't we find out?" I could hear my voice become silent, almost lethal. I hardly recognized it.

Draco dropped his voice in response.

"Was that a _challenge_, Mudblood?"

"Was that an _agreement, _Ferret?"

It seemed that the rest of the life of the world had stopped. When I had once felt excitement pulse through the air, I could now only feel our anger throbbing. Everyone around us was staring on.

Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Bring it, Mudblood. Midnight, tonight. Slytherin common room."

"No way, Ferret. You'd cheat. Midnight, Great Hall."

"Fine. Great Hall then. And if you're not there, you have to scrub my bathroom with a toothbrush."

"And if you're not there, you have to admit that I'm better than you anytime somebody badmouths me around you."

Honestly, I didn't think he'd accept.

"Fine."

"I want an Unbreakable Vow."

I still didn't think he'd agree. If we made an Unbreakable Vow, then neither of us could go back. Whoever went back would be plagued forever with terrible acne. (_AN: I don't know what an Unbreakable Vow actually does, or if it even exists, but just pretend that this is what it does.)_

"You got it, Mudblood."

He always manages to surprise me.

With Ron as my witness and Blaise as his, we agreed to have Harry cast the spell. We all joined hands in the middle of a circle we'd formed, and I couldn't help but to be excited when his hand touched mine. However, I also noticed a sort of forced disgust on his face.

"Herms and Mal-jerk, do you both swear to be in the Great Hall at midnight?"

I nodded and he did, too. However, he shot Harry a look at the new nickname Harry had given him. One thin, green ribbon shot out of Harry's wand and wrapped itself around our hands.

"Hermione, if you lose the dual, will you scrub Malfoy's bathroom with a toothbrush."

No matter how much I loved him, I still inwardly shuddered.

"Unfortunately." I replied.

Another ribbon came out from Harry's wand and wrapped around our hands.

"Malfoy, if you lose the dual, will you always admit the Hermione is better than you whenever anyone badmouths her?"

While my shudder was inward, his was outward.

"Unfortunately." He mirrored my reply.

Another ribbon wrapped around our hands. The three intertwined into a thin green braid, and then they all disappeared.

"See you, Mudblood. Midnight."

Then he walked away.

"Herms, that was great!" Harry congratulated.

"What's so great about that, Harry?"

"Mione, you just challenged Malfoy. You've never challenged anyone before!" Ron exclaimed. He was practically jumping up and down.

"So what, Ron?" Honestly, it was exasperating. I had just challenged the man I love to a dual, and only because he'd embarrassed me in a completely juvenile way. I should have just walked away.

"So you're gonna kick his ASS, Mione!" Ron couldn't help his excitement.

"Yea, Herms. NO one can take you!" Harry joined in.

"Great. Just great."

I started a slow shuffle to the school with Harry and Ron behind me, both jabbering on excitedly behind me about tonight's future events.

I dreaded midnight more than anything else.


End file.
